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Date change follows cancellation of connecting flight that affected New Zealand’s transfer to the West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2022The second T20I between Netherlands and New Zealand in The Hague will now be played on August 5, a day earlier than originally scheduled. Both boards agreed to shift the date of the match following the cancellation of a connecting flight that affected New Zealand’s transfer to the West Indies, where they are scheduled to play three T20Is and three ODIs starting August 10.The two Netherlands-New Zealand T20Is, as a result, will now be played back-to-back on August 4 and 5.Related

• Netherlands to host New Zealand for two T20Is in August

• Michael Rippon becomes first left-arm wristspinner picked by NZ

• Luke Wright joins New Zealand coaching staff for limited-overs series

New Zealand are currently in the middle of a long tour of Europe that began in England in May. After two warm-up matches, they played England in three Tests, before moving to Ireland where they played three ODIs and are currently leading 1-0 in a three-match T20I series. After this, they will fly out to Scotland for two T20Is and one ODI, and then on to the Netherlands.Even after the advancement of the second T20I, New Zealand will only get a four-day gap between that match and the first T20I against West Indies in Jamaica.With this packed schedule in mind, New Zealand have rotated their squad extensively through the tour of Europe.They rested Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Devon Conway – who all played the Tests against England – from the Ireland, Scotland and Netherland legs of the tour, and allowed Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls to return home after the ODIs against Ireland. Matt Henry and Will Young, meanwhile, left the squad to play county cricket after the Ireland ODIs.But the seniors are expected to be back for the West Indies tour, following which New Zealand will travel to Australia for three ODIs in September. They are then due to play a T20I tri-series at home alongside Pakistan and Bangladesh in October, which will serve as their final preparation for the T20 World Cup.New Zealand, losing finalists at the 2021 edition in the UAE, are set to begin the tournament against defending champions Australia in Sydney on October 22.

IPL-bound players might miss a part or the whole of the home games against Bangladesh too

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2021New Zealand Cricket will allow its cricketers to participate in the 2021 edition for as long as they need to, even if it means that some of them miss the end of the New Zealand home season and the first Test of the tour of England, at Lord’s.The dates for the IPL aren’t out yet – likely to be in April-May – but the Lord’s Test is scheduled to start on June 2, and it could be that a few major all-format players, like captain Kane Williamson and Trent Boult, fail to join the team in time if their teams make the IPL playoffs.Related

• 'There are no expectations' – New Zealand stars play down hype ahead of IPL auction

• Who will Super Kings, Capitals, Punjab Kings and Knight Riders target?

• IPL 2021 auction: Who will Mumbai Indians, the Royals, the Royal Challengers and the Sunrisers Hyderabad target?

• England players could miss NZ Tests to play IPL knockouts

The situation won’t be any different from England, whose leading multi-format cricketers, including Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler, might all miss that two-Test series.Speaking to NZC chief executive David White said, “NZC will take a pragmatic approach as these fixtures are a late addition to the schedule. We will work through the decision in conjunction with the players.” The Tests in question – the second one is in Southampton – were announced only last month, and don’t count towards the World Test Championship final, which New Zealand have already qualified for. That match will be played from June 18.There’s also a chance that, depending on when the IPL-bound players are asked to link up with their franchises, they miss the home white-ball series against Bangladesh, which run from March 20 to April 1. “We are still awaiting advice as to when the IPL will start and what the MIQ protocols will be – but will take a pragmatic approach in the event of any clash,” White said.As such, no New Zealand cricketer has ever missed a Test match because of the IPL, and there might not be a direct dates’ clash in this case either, but things could get tricky because of the Covid-19 situation.Apart from Williamson and Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert all have teams in the IPL already, and 20 other New Zealand cricketers have put their names in the hat for the auction, to be held in Chennai on Thursday. Keeping in mind travel restrictions, New Zealand will follow the new norm of sending an expanded squad to England in any case.

Mixed reactions to the players’ strike from BCB officials, with some terming the players’ stance “blackmail”

Mohammad Isam22-Oct-2019The BCB has called an emergency meeting of its directors on Tuesday in response to the players’ strike. They have less than 48 hours to convince the players to play the next round of the first-class National Cricket League matches in four venues across the country, and just a little more time to convince them to start training in a prep camp for the tour of India. The India tour begins on November 3.The cricketers put out an 11-point demand on Monday, which they said must be fulfilled before they will take part in any on-field activities. A majority of those demands are financial commitments that the board has to make publicly. Apart from the call to bring back Dhaka Premier League’s players transfer in the 2019-20 season, even the players understand that the rest of the points can only come into effect from next year.

Mashrafe backs the players

In a Facebook post, Bangladesh’s ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza has expressed solidarity with the cricketers, but said he wasn’t made aware of their plan.
“I have been asked several times why I wasn’t present with the cricketers,” Mashrafe wrote on his official Facebook page. “I think it is best to ask the players. I wasn’t aware of this movement. Definitely this was in discussion, and they were making preparations. The first I heard about their strike was when I saw their press conference.
“I have always been with cricketers and if I had known about their plan, I would have been with them. I have questioned myself why I wasn’t made aware. But it is more important that their 11-point demands are met. All of their demands are fair, and necessary for the betterment of cricket and cricketers. I, Mashrafe Mortaza, am in favour of a peaceful implementation of their 11-point demand.”

So far, there are mixed reactions from within the BCB, with some directors accusing the cricketers of “blackmailing” the board, while others have said that they understand the players’ stance in these difficult circumstances.Director Jalal Yunus said that instead of going to the media, the players should have gone to the board with their demands. “We had no idea that the cricketers were so angry, disappointed and upset,” Yunus told Bengali daily . “They could have placed the demands at the board before issuing the ultimatum. However, they went to the media to call off all cricketing activities. This is nothing but blackmailing.”Speaking to the same newspaper, Mahbubul Anam, another influential board director, accused the cricketers of being part of a “wider conspiracy”. “They can have demands but before going to the media, they should have come to the BCB,” Anam said. “The board president is always in touch with these cricketers.”They could have followed the process of going through the CEO, cricket operations chairman and board chief, and if their demands weren’t met, then they could have gone for action. I believe something else is behind the cricketers’ call for the strike. It is a conspiracy against BCB.”But Akram Khan, the former Bangladesh captain and now a board director in charge of cricket operations, had a conciliatory tone: “These things always start with a movement. Once you sit with the board, it is no longer a movement. The board is there to serve the cricketers’ purpose. I hope there will be reconciliation between the players and the board. We will try to solve their issues in the board meeting [on Tuesday].”ALSO READ: What do the Bangladesh players want?Veteran board director Ahmed Sajjadul Alam said that he feels most of the demands are “reasonable”, and they can be met after discussion with the players.The cricketers have also generally received support from outside the cricket board, including some former cricketers. One of them, Salim Shahed, said that he was impressed by how the cricketers didn’t bring only their own issues into focus.”They didn’t just talk about themselves,” Shahed told the Bengali daily . “They wanted improvement in salaries for groundsmen, coaches, trainers, physios. They spoke about infrastructural improvement. They also didn’t drag the age-group cricketers in to their strike. They are only looking to ensure a better future for them.”

A century partnership between Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell – the latter smashing an explosive 56 – helped Australia complete the 152-run chase off the penultimate ball of the game with five wickets in hand

The Report by Danyal Rasool06-Jul-2018Call this a dead rubber all you want; this game had more life in it than perhaps all the others in this tri-series put together. Zimbabwe, backed vocally by the small crowd that turned up in freezing conditions in Harare, put up their best performance of the tournament, falling agonisingly short in the end. In a series desperately lacking close contests, the last game before the final provided a memorable finish to warm the hearts of those that sat shivering in the stands. They might not have got the result they came for though, with Marcus Stoinis smashing Donald Tiripano over midwicket for four with one ball remaining to ensure Zimbabwe finished the series winless.Cricket – even T20 cricket – isn’t nearly like football, where it can be quite impossible to miss when a game turned on its head. Not least because in football, those moments coincide with bulging nets and raucous celebrations. Without a shot played in anger, slowly, almost imperceptibly, Australia turned around a game that, for a good half hour, looked like it was Zimbabwe’s to lose. If you hadn’t been paying much attention, there would have been a startling moment when you realised you weren’t going to get the upset you’d popped in front of the TV for, but what looked a routine Australian stroll to victory. It wasn’t quite as simple as that in the end, but the win did come thanks to a century partnership between Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell – the latter making 56 off 38 – as Australia chased down the 152-run target.Having put up a below par score, Zimbabwe began spectacularly with the ball, Wellington Masakadza and the precocious Blessing Muzarabani keeping Australia on a leash in the Powerplay. An ill-timed hoick by Aaron Finch to cow corner deprived the visitors of their captain and trump card. A couple of overs later, Muzarabani drew an outside edge from the other opener Alex Carey for a simple catch behind the wicket. Australia’s middle order, which had looked so thoroughly second-string against Pakistan on Thursday, looked like it might get another severe examination, with the asking rate climbing slowly and Zimbabwe looking a different side to the one Australia had steamrolled earlier in the week.But as the Powerplay ended, Zimbabwe moved the fielders back out, and the pressure on Maxwell and Head eased. The ones and twos began to come easier, and Maxwell, having got his eye in, was threatening to return to the sort of form that turns asking rates to laughing stocks. An exquisite six over extra cover in the tenth over was a harbinger of the carnage to follow, and the partnership began to develop as Australia expertly took control of the chase. Zimbabwe’s bowling, which had looked so potent with the field in, again assumed the distinctly ordinary appearance that has been the downfall of their side in so many games over recent years. That over was the start of a period that saw Australia score 51 runs in five overs, and even as Masakadza switched his bowlers around, it didn’t seem like anything would dissuade the pair from applying the finishing touches to what was turning into a decisive win.But when the young Muzarabani – who was fabulous at both top and tail of the innings – returned, Zimbabwe perked up again. He coaxed a false shot to extra cover from Maxwell off just his second ball back, and suddenly the Australia of the first few overs seemed to have returned. Two more wickets fell quickly and the game became a tough scrap that went to the final over, but Australia were slightly better at holding their nerve, and that, really, was the difference in the end.Earlier on, Solomon Mire put on another superb showing at the top of the order with 63 off 52 balls, anchoring a stuttering Zimbabwean innings, which could never assume the fluency required to post a good enough total. They lost three early wickets, which forced Mire and Peter Moor into consolidation mode at a time when they would have preferred to kick on. At times the partnership almost seemed to be breaking up any momentum Zimbabwe built, rather than setting them up for the final flourish.When Moor, who was 14 off 20 at one point, finally did get going, carting Stoinis for 15 runs in the 14th over, he lost his wicket soon after. It was left to Mire again to be the sole torchbearer for the hosts, and while he did so admirably, the final total they put up wasn’t quite enough to place any real pressure on the Australians. Zimbabwe have real positives to build on for the upcoming five-match ODI series against Pakistan which begins on July 13, particularly the form of Mire and Muzarabani. The table might show them to be pointless, but the performances on the field strongly suggest otherwise.

New ODI and T20I captain Sarfraz Ahmed has said Pakistan’s senior players need to “step up” as they continue their bid to confirm their place in the 2019 World Cup

Umar Farooq17-Mar-2017Limited-overs captain Sarfraz Ahmed expects Pakistan’s senior players to step up in the West Indies in their bid for direct qualification to the 2019 World Cup. He emphasised the importance of senior fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz taking wickets to make a difference on the upcoming tour, which starts with four T20I games from March 26.”In the T20 format we might have a relatively young bowling side but in ODIs we have three senior bowlers – Amir, Wahab and Junaid Khan. We have spoken to them and reminded them that they are seniors, have played ample cricket, and now have to step up,” Sarfraz said at the conclusion of a week-long conditioning camp in Lahore. “We are working on fielding but with our bowling department we need to take wickets with new ball and in middle overs. We have worked very hard in the camp and now I am hopeful that they will make a difference in the West Indies and help Pakistan win with their bowling.”Sarfraz’s own career has been marred with inconsistency since his debut in 2007. It wasn’t until 2014 that he turned it around, after Adnan Akmal was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series in the UAE. He scored 48 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah, and has since become an integral part of the national side in all formats, recently replacing Azhar Ali to become ODI captain.Under Azhar’s leadership, Pakistan slipped to ninth position – a record low – in the ODI rankings. They have since risen one place but they barely scraped into this year’s Champions Trophy. Pakistan won only five of the ten bilateral series under Azhar: two against Zimbabwe, and one each against Ireland, Sri Lanka and West Indies. In all, Pakistan lost 18 games and won 12.”I understand that over the last two years Pakistan’s performance in ODI cricket hasn’t been good,” Sarfraz said. “We have been trying really hard to minimize our mistakes. There were some flaws, especially in the fielding department, and we have been working hard to iron them out. We were scoring 280 to 290 but then dropping catches in the field, and this was hurting our chances. We are aware how important World Cup qualification is, so our focus is on winning the series and strengthening our position.”Under Azhar Ali, Pakistan lost 18 ODIs while winning only 12•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Pakistan selectors recently named five uncapped cricketers for the limited-overs series, but also called up two senior players who had been out of favour. Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal were named in both the T20 and ODI squads after impressive domestic runs.”I feel the role of our senior players, especially [Mohammad] Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Amir and Wahab is very important,” Sarfraz said. “There are junior players with us and both Kamran and Ahmed [Shehzad] are making their comeback, so I expect our senior players, including myself, to lead from the front. We have been scoring 280 or so but we need to get totals above 300. Besides, our fast bowlers need to take wickets to give us the best possible chance.”Sarfraz dismissed suggestions that Kamran Akmal’s return threatened his own spot in the team•AFP

The recent corruption allegations that surfaced in the PSL made opener Sharjeel Khan, along with Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Hasan, and Khalid Latif unavailable for selection. “It’s a bad thing in many ways and it disappoints you,” Sarfraz said. “Because some players are set in the team, and with their ouster the combination of the team gets upset. Sharjeel was not only settled in but was exactly the sort of player we needed to open the batting. He was the kind of batsman who played cricket in line with modern-day requirements. His absence will be felt but whoever comes in as a replacement will also be an outstanding player, and they can give their best to take Pakistan forward.”These young players that we brought in are very talented and they have been selected after consistent domestic performances. They have been outstanding and this is the reason they got a chance. It’s good that they are getting the opportunity at a time when cricket isn’t being played in the country. It’s also a good sign that they are getting a chance and hopefully these boys can convert their domestic form in international cricket.”Sarfraz denied that the added responsibility of being a wicketkeeper-batsman as well as captain put him under extra pressure. He also dismissed suggestions that having Kamran Akmal back in the side threatened his own place. “I am not feeling any pressure, it’s a good thing that Kami came in after performing well. Earlier [Mohammad] Rizwan was around with me so there is no pressure at all. Kami has been performing in domestic cricket, and we expect him to contribute here too, which will help Pakistan.”

Steven Smith must quickly sort through pressing questions of selection and strategy as he looks to make Australia challengers at the World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Feb-20163:14

‘World Cup not long away’ – Smith

It is less than a month since Steven Smith took over as Australia’s T20 captain and less than a week since he was leading the Test side back to the top of the ICC rankings in New Zealand. Now Smith is in South Africa, where Australia will play three T20s as part of their preparation for the World T20, which will see them head to India in less than a fortnight’s time.If all that is a bit much to process, it is just the start for Smith, who will have to learn rapidly on the job after replacing Aaron Finch. Smith has captained Australia just once previously in T20 – although he has led Sydney Sixers and Rajasthan Royals in the Big Bash and IPL respectively – and must quickly sort through pressing questions of selection and strategy as he looks to make the team challengers at a tournament they have never previously won.The decision by Australia’s selectors to make Smith captain in all three formats came after they had been whitewashed 3-0 at home to India, and followed an observation by Shane Watson – who stood in for the injured Finch, with Smith already in New Zealand, for the third T20 against India – that a lack of continuity had been hurting their chances.Smith, who has made a smooth ascent in Test and ODI cricket as Michael Clarke’s successor, is the man charged with getting Australia pulling in the right direction in time for the World T20 – a job complicated by having to try and settle on an ideal XI in South Africa, where conditions will differ markedly from those likely to be encountered in India. It may not be the ideal scenario but Smith was focused on getting as much out of the trip as possible after arriving in Durban.”For us it’s about playing some T20 cricket together, we haven’t played a great deal of T20 over the last couple of years so it’s a great opportunity for us to try and gel together as a unit before the World Cup,” Smith said. “Hopefully the South African curators can try and make the pitches a little bit slow and turning, I think that would benefit both sides, so we’ll wait and see what they come up with.”Smith only played in the first match against India and said the series defeat was “in the past”. Australia have included three players uncapped in T20 – wicketkeeper Peter Nevill and spinners Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa – in their 15-man squad and must try to settle on an ideal batting order, with Finch, Watson, Usman Khawaja and David Warner all competing to open.”It’s about moving forward and trying to get everything going in the right direction before the World Cup,” Smith said. “We’ve got a few options for guys that can open the batting, there’s about four guys vying for a spot there. The bowlers are working hard to get into the eleven but I think it will take a whole squad to win a World Cup.”Despite regular commissions in the IPL, Australia’s players have struggled to make an impact at T20’s global showpiece, with just one final appearance in five attempts, and Smith conceded that the game had moved on apace since he helped take the Sixers to the 2011-12 Big Bash title in his first taste of captaincy.”I think it’s changed a lot, guys have got so many different deliveries nowadays – slower-ball bouncers, wide yorkers, different kinds of slower balls, things like that. Guys are able to hit the ball 360 degrees, which is hard to stop. I just think the game has changed so much, it’s moving forward and that’s great.”One of those “hard to stop” guys is AB de Villiers, whose outlandish talents were to the fore in South Africa’s most recent T20, a nine-wicket win over England. De Villiers, now opening the batting in T20, crashed 71 off 29 balls and Smith suggested Australia would be trying to come up with a containment strategy for him.”It’s very difficult to do, he’s one of the most destructive – if not the most destructive – batsman in the world and he does hit the ball 360 degrees, so when he is going he’s very tough to stop,” Smith said. “We’re going to have a few plans in place for him that will hopefully work, but he’s a terrific player and very hard to stop.”South Africa have been on an upward surge in limited-overs cricket, winning five matches in a row against England. In contrast to Australia, they have recently tasted success over India – winning the T20 and ODI legs on last year’s tour – and they will be further boosted by the return of Dale Steyn from a shoulder problem. Australia, meanwhile, expect Finch, Watson, James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile to be available for the first match on Friday after recent injuries.”They’re a very good T20 team, they’ve got some class players that can take the game away from you very quickly,” Smith said. “So, for us, we want to win every series we play and I guess in the back of our minds we know there’s a World Cup not long away. But it’s about focusing on this series and trying to do what we can to win.”

Zimbabwe coach Andrew Waller was cautiously optimistic about his team’s chances in the five-match ODI series against India starting Wednesday

Liam Brickhill in Harare23-Jul-2013Zimbabwe coach Andy Waller was cautiously optimistic about his team’s chances in the five-match ODI series against India starting on Wednesday, which also marks his first international assignment as head coach. Waller took over from Steve Mangongo, who had held the position in a caretaker’s role until the end of the home series against Bangladesh in May.”All along we’ve prepared and hoped we might surprise them in one of the games,” Waller said. “You’ve got to be realistic, but as long as we’re competitive and do the best we can.”Our guys are hugely excited about this. It’s a great experience for them, and we’ve been preparing knowing that the best side in the world are coming. I think the guys are up for it. Hopefully all the hard work we’ve put in in the last nine weeks is going to pay off.”Waller also confirmed that veteran left-arm spinner Ray Price is part of the Zimbabwe squad. “Price is in the squad, I don’t know why he wasn’t named in the original list,” said Waller after the team’s nets session on Monday.While Price has been included, it is highly likely that this series will be his last for Zimbabwe. The 37 year-old has played just one international this year, and with national contracts up for renewal soon, the departure of one of their most experienced players seems imminent.Price’s 140-game international career stretches all the way back to 1999. He appeared to have been lost to Zimbabwe when he took up a contract with Worcestershire following the clash between the board and players in 2004 but he decided to return to the fold in 2008 and since then has embodied the team’s tenacious spirit. He has helped to instil some backbone to the bowling group during some difficult years and Zimbabwe probably owe him the chance to say goodbye.A couple of India’s senior players are absent from this trip, foremost among them their captain MS Dhoni, but Waller stressed the visitors’ strength in depth and rejected any idea that Zimbabwe considered the squad a depleted one.”I think they’ve just got so many players,” he said. “With the new guys who’ve come in, I don’t think there’s a huge difference to be honest. We know that they’re all very good cricketers, so we don’t look at it like a weakened attack at all.”Waller has been working with a training squad for the last two months, having brought in Yorkshire fitness coach Tom Summers following the departure of long-time trainer Lorraine Chivandire. Waller has made fitness one of his top priorities and Zimbabwe’s intensive training session, which stretched over several hours, was at odds with India’s.The visitors will still have been slightly jet-lagged, having arrived on Sunday night, and were tasked with nothing more than some light fielding and a relaxed football match during their afternoon session.Apart from their training camp, Zimbabwe’s preparations included a three-day game against Australia A this weekend that the visitors won by 80 runs. Zimbabwe’s batsmen failed to complement the hard work of their bowlers, who had utilised the bowler-friendly Country Club pitch very well.Waller suggested that the batsmen would have an easier time at the Harare Sports Club, where the first three ODIs will be played before moving to Bulawayo.”We’re not shaken at all,” insisted Waller. “It was quite an interesting wicket [at Country Club], quite a difficult wicket. I think the guys are actually quite positive about it, because they were a damn good bowling side. And I think we know it’s a lot harder batting on the wicket there than it will be at Sports Club. “

Glen Chapple claimed five wickets and Oliver Newby made key contributions as Lancashire secured a place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals

19-Aug-2012
ScorecardOliver Newby top-scored for Lancashire before taking the key wicket of Alex Gidman•PA Photos

Glen Chapple claimed five wickets and Oliver Newby made key contributions with bat and ball as Lancashire secured a place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals with an 18-run win over Gloucestershire at Bristol.Evergreen captain Chapple returned 5 for 26 as the home side were bowled out for 164, James Fuller making a valiant 43. But Newby was equally responsible for his side’s success.First the 27-year-old seamer top-scored with 36 not out, batting at No. 9, to boost Lancashire’s total from a meagre 117 for 7 to 182 for 9 after winning the toss. Newby then claimed the important wicket of Alex Gidman just as the Gloucestershire captain was threatening to rescue his side from a poor start.The result puts Lancashire on 16 points in Group A, with two matches still to play, and meant they cannot be overtaken. It also eliminated Gloucestershire, who are on 11 points, with only one game left.It looked good for the home side when their opponents collapsed from 63 for 1 to 117 for 7, thanks largely to a series of loose shots. But Newby came in to hit three fours and a six, sharing a stand of 37 for the ninth wicket with Stephen Parry, who made 12.Left-arm spinner Ed Young was the pick of the Gloucestershire attack, with 2 for 25, but there were also three wickets for left-arm seamer David Payne.Chapple contributed a useful 16 towards the end of the Lancashire innings and the 38-year-old then blew away Gloucestershire’s top order, sending back Rob Nicol, Benny Howell and Dan Housego in taking 3 for 8 from four overs.Ajmal Shahzad had already seen off Hamish Marshall and at 16 for 4 Gloucestershire were in disarray. But Alex Gidman looked in prime form as he counter-attacked with four boundaries in an over from Shahzad, including three from successive balls.He was looking a real danger to Lancashire when Newby had him picked up at cover, having faced only 26 balls for his 36.It was 75 for 6 when Ian Cockbain top-edged a sweep off Gary Keedy to be caught at deep square. But Will Gidman (32) and Fuller added 55 to give Gloucestershire hope before Gidman was stumped off the bowling of Steven Croft. Fuller almost turned the game around, but Chapple returned to remove Young and Jon Batty before Shahzad had Fuller caught behind to end the game.

A round-up of the action from the third day of the second round of three-day matches in the Emerging Players Tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2011An all-round performance from India Emerging Players helped them seal a comfortable nine-wicket win over New Zealand A at Endeavour Park No. 2 in Townsville. New Zealand, who were following on, were bowled out for 239, which meant India had to chase 108 runs for victory, which they did so with ease.New Zealand, who ended the second day still 84 runs adrift of India’s first-innings score, with seven wickets in hand, began strongly. Overnight batsmen Daniel Flynn and Dean Brownlie batted solidly, to put on 148 runs for the fourth wicket to lift their side to 174 for 3. Both batsmen made fighting half-centuries but once they were dismissed – both in their eighties – New Zealand’s fightback ended. They slumped from 205 for 5 to 239 all out with seamer R Vinay Kumar picking up three of the last five wickets to fall, to end up with figures of 4 for 33.India raced through the chase, despite losing captain Shikhar Dhawan with the score on 10. Ajinkya Rahane and CM Gautam forged an unbeaten 98-run partnership at close to six runs an over, to carry India home. With six points for their outright win, India are the top of the points table while New Zealand, who were docked three points for being three overs short of their minimum target of overs, are in third position.Half-centuries from Ryan Carters and Jon Holland helped Australian Institute of Sport draw their match against South Africa Emerging Players at Endeavour Park.Australia began the third day trailing South Africa’s first-innings score by 160 with 10 wickets in hand. They lost their openers early and while a third-wicket partnership of 43 between Tim Armstrong and Tom Beaton steadied the innings, Dale Deeb struck to dismiss both batsmen in quick succession to leave Australia struggling at 79 for 4. They lost two further wickets and at 135 for 6, South Africa looked like they could press for victory. They were, however, thwarted by a dogged 121-run seventh-wicket partnership between captain Carters and No. 8 Holland that lifted Australia for 256 for 6. Holland fell for 61 and Carters soon followed for 70, but the duo had done enough to haul their team out of trouble and ensure a draw. With two draws in two games, Australia are yet to earn a point and are second on the points table with South Africa placed fourth.

Monty Panesar took his first five-wicket haul since September 2008 as Sussex beat Gloucestershire by eight wickets at Arundel

09-Jul-2010

ScorecardMonty Panesar took his first five-wicket haul since September 2008 as Sussex beat Gloucestershire by eight wickets at Arundel to go top of Division Two in the County Championship. Almost a year to the day since his heroics with the bat helped England save the first Ashes Test in Cardiff, Panesar took advantage of a wearing pitch to claim 5 for 44 in Gloucestershire’s second innings to give him match figures of 8 for 114.Panesar was well supported by offspinner Ollie Rayner, who took 3 for 24, but Gloucestershire folded abysmally under pressure as they lost their last seven wickets for 52 in 16 overs to be bowled out for 131 despite an unbeaten 89 from Hamish Marshall. Sussex lost both openers before passing their target of 50 in 11 overs and they now go five points clear of Gloucestershire at the top in their bid for a quick return to Division One.Panesar struck in his first over when his arm ball deceived Jonathan Batty. Gloucestershire, who had conceded a first-innings deficit of 82, had already lost Kadeer Ali, one of five batsmen to get ducks, when he was lbw playing no shot to Yasir Arafat. Chris Dent drove to second slip but from 27 for 3 Marshall and Alex Gidman led a brief recovery with a stand of 52.But when Gidman was superbly caught at short leg by Michael Thornely off Rayner, Gloucestershire’s innings nose-dived. Panesar defeated Chris Taylor’s sweep, had James Franklin taken at short leg and Jon Lewis at slip before claiming his fifth wicket when Vikram Banerjee fatally played back to a ball which scuttled through.At the other end it often appeared as if Marshall was involved in a different game. He played some superb back-foot shots off the spinners and hit 15 fours in 126 balls but there was negligible support at the other end. Gemaal Hussain drove to mid-off and last man Steve Kirby was taken at backward short-leg to give Rayner the final two wickets of an innings which lasted just over 40 overs.Earlier, Sussex’s last four wickets had added a further 75 runs but Robin Martin-Jenkins missed out on a century in his last championship appearance when he was caught at second slip for 78.
Yasir Arafat contributed his first half-century of the season whilst left-arm spinner Banerjee picked up 5 for 94, his second five-wicket haul of the season.